Offensive: The Real Derek and Clive

Offensive: The Real Derek and Clive surveys the rise and fallout of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore's most notorious persona, the foul-mouthed toilet attendants Derek and Clive. The film traces how the characters evolved from private recordings into banned-but-beloved records that shocked broadcasters yet attracted a devoted following. Through interviews, archive performances and excerpts from the actual albums and video, the documentary shows how the act's obscene language and comic sleaziness sat next to a brilliant comic rapport, and how that tension contributed to the partnership's strain. Narration and testimony place the material in context, while the footage shows why the duo provoked laughter, outrage and lasting debate, and it also references their earlier careers without revealing later personal details.

Directed by Francis Hanly and released in 2002, the documentary assembles interviews and archival material drawn from Cook and Moore's Derek and Clive records and video. It uses voiceover narration by Juliet Stevenson to tie sequences together, with other contributors.

The film had a limited release, screening at festivals and select cinemas rather than a wide theatrical run. It found most of its audience through home video and specialty outlets, and there are no widely reported box office totals available.

Derek and Clive's raw, taboo-breaking sketches became shorthand for transgressive British comedy, fueling debates about taste, censorship and the limits of satire. The documentary highlights how those recordings influenced alternative comedians, earned cult collector status among fans, and still surface in discussions about comedic freedom and responsibility in Britain especially.

Critics and viewers interested in comedy history praised the film's archival assembly and frank interviews, while noting the material will offend many. It considers themes of collaboration and deterioration in creative partnerships, the appetite for shock humor, and the ethical questions raised when comedy relies on extreme language and provocation.